Fix it
Why is my roof leaking when it rains?
Roof leaks are rarely where the water shows up inside. Rain gets past one weak point, travels along the deck or a rafter, and appears rooms away — which is why finding the entry matters more than patching the stain.
What it usually is
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Cracked, curled or missing shingles
The single most common cause. Look for dark patches where granules have washed away, tabs lifted by wind, or shingle pieces in the yard after storms.
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Failed flashing at chimneys, vents and valleys
Anywhere the roof plane is interrupted, metal flashing does the sealing — and its sealant ages out long before the shingles do. Valley flashing carries the most water and fails the most expensively.
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Pipe-boot gaskets that have split
The rubber collars around plumbing vent pipes crack with UV exposure after 8–12 years. A split boot leaks a small, steady amount every rain, directly down the pipe.
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Nail pops and exposed fasteners
A nail that has backed out lifts its shingle a fraction of an inch — enough for capillary action to pull water in on windy rain.
What you can check yourself
From the ground with binoculars, scan for lifted or missing shingles and crooked flashing lines. In the attic during rain, trace the topmost wet point — water always shows up below where it enters. Photograph what you find; it makes any repair conversation concrete.
When it’s a job for a pro
Walking a wet roof is genuinely dangerous, and leak-tracing is diagnostic work — a roofing partner will water-test suspect areas rather than guess. Repairs made at the actual entry point are small money compared to a season of chasing stains.
Targeted repairs like a pipe boot or flashing reseal typically run $150 to $600; larger shingle repairs $400 to $1,200. A leak left through one wet season routinely multiplies that in interior damage.
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